This invention relates in general to displaying information in a compute system; more particularly, to a method and interface for displaying architectural diagrams on a computer screen.
For many years, architects, facility planners and builders have created diagrams representing a simplified, abstract version of a detailed, accurately scaled architectural floor plan. Most typically, such diagrams are used during the design process, to enable designers to examine multiple options rapidly, and to seek feedback from facility end users prior to committing to detailed floor plans. Another use for building diagrams is in public signage, such as a location map at a shopping complex or hospital; an arrow with the words xe2x80x9cyou are herexe2x80x9d often appears in the location map. In both case the use of a diagram in lieu of a detailed plan allows a broad spectrum of the population to understand the basic organization of a facility design quickly.
The development of methodology for creating and displaying plan diagrams has not kept pace with the development of methods for the drafting of detailed architectural floor plans. The majority of new commercial and public buildings are now developed with the use of computer-aided design (CAD) for the construction documents. A nearly universal standard of file formats has been established for CAD drawings, such that users of different CAD software programs can often exchange files with minimal difficulty. In contrast, most architectural designers still rely on hand drawing on paper during the creative process. While CAD vendors have made modules available specifically for the design phase that are suitable for diagramming, neither a broad acceptance of a method or any common language of diagramming exists.
Along with the near-universal acceptance of the CAD format for developing detail plans is the archiving of details plans in a CAD format. Whereas floor plans were archived in large flat drawers, tubes and on microfilm in the past, most floor plans are now stored as electronic CAD files (printed versions may be stored in drawers or tubes as well). Electronic CAD files are easier to store and access than printed versions, however, they are typically more difficult to read on a computer monitor than on a full-size printed version. The standard resolution of a computer monitor is 72 dots per inch. At this resolution, thin lines tend to break up visually. Additionally, most computer monitors are less than half the size of a standard construction document sheet. Comprehension of a detailed floor plan on a computer screen typically requires a good deal of scrolling back and forth on the screen, because if the plan is viewed at a size to fit entirely on the screen, details are too small to comprehend. Furthermore, the lack of sharpness of lines can lead to eyestrain.
The level of sharpness of lines displayed on a computer monitor is important because architectural floor plans are primarily comprised of lines, often in varying thicknesses. The traditional drawing system relies on a large number of lines and text labels to describe an architectural floor plan. For example, the simplest classroom will typically be represented with two parallel lines on each of four sides (total of eight lines), a door and arc swing (two or more additional lines) and a label in the center of the area xe2x80x9cClass Room.xe2x80x9d At least eleven distinct elements are required to display the classroom. Multiply this by hundreds of rooms and or features in a typical new facility, and the number of elements to display in a single architectural floor plan can easily range into the thousandsxe2x80x94not an efficient or comfortable amount of information to view on a computer screen.
The design and construction process has become more complex in the last several decades. During this period, the field of specialized facility planning has developed. Although facility planners are often architects, and often work within architectural firms, their work product is distinct from that of the traditional architect. For example, a health care planner or educational facility planner is often involved a year or more before an architectural contract is given out, for the purpose of examining and making recommendations regarding the various factors and approaches to the facility plan. Planners typically use a wide range of tools and methods, including word processing programs, spread sheet programs, and presentation programs. Planners may or may not utilize a CAD program, but unlike the traditional architect, their key work product involves communication, reports and documents that are processed and understood by a wide variety of non-architectural or engineering professionals. Planners must typically interact with end-users, financial, public relations and legal professionals. Detailed architectural plans are often difficult for non design-building professionals to comprehend. Furthermore, non design-building professionals typically do not maintain or know how to use CAD software.
The increased complexity of the design and building process makes it more important than ever for planners and architects to access, manipulate and communicate the information contained in architectural floor plans. Like scientists and attorneys, successful architects and planners review precedents and build upon previous designs, rather than continuously innovating. Utilization of existing plans allows the designer to avoid mistakes and make incremental improvements. Given the limitations of a computer monitor, how does a professional planner or architect effectively review large quantities of architectural floor plans? Given the lack of any universal method of diagramming or displaying preliminary designs, how does the planning and design professional proceed during the facility planning and initial design phases?
While continuous innovation is impractical for most architects and planners, the ability to innovate in response to unique problems is highly valued in the design and construction industry. Given the complexity of today""s building projects, and the vast quantity of precedents to review, how does the design professional leverage precedent in the design innovation process? How does he identify patterns between plans? Research demonstrates that the human brain is hard-wired to recognize patterns. Leslie Hart writes in xe2x80x9cHuman Brain and Human Learning,xe2x80x9d 1983 xe2x80x9c . . . pattern-matching is inherently pleasing because that is what our minds are designed (or programmed) for . . . Quite apart from anything the teacher does . . . the student, being human, is a pattern-finder and pattern maker.xe2x80x9d In order to recognize patterns, what type of interface and method of interacting with design precedents and concepts will facilitate pattern recognition?
Research on innovation and creativity further indicates that the quality of innovation is positively correlated with large quantities of information. Michael Michalko writes in xe2x80x9cCracking Creativity, The Secrets of Creative Genius,xe2x80x9d 1998, that quantity fosters excellence: xe2x80x9c . . . the most respected produced not only more great works, but also more xe2x80x9cbadxe2x80x9d ones. Out of their massive quantity of work came quality . . . Fluency of thought means generating quantities of ideas. Quantity breeds quality . . . the sensible thing to do is to produce many ideas before we evaluate.xe2x80x9d Given the massive number of building precedents in any given category of facilities, how does the planner and designer review and comprehend a sufficient quantity of plan concepts?
Michalko goes on to describe the value of abstraction in developing innovative concepts: xe2x80x9cAbstraction is a basic principle in restructuring a problem . . . Einstein despaired of creating new knowledge from already existing knowledge . . . So he reversed this procedure and worked at a higher level of abstraction.xe2x80x9d What type of method and interface will allow the architect or planner to view previously developed designs at an abstract level, allowing for the creation of new, innovative solutions?
During the last five years, the Internet has become a key medium for displaying, accessing and sharing architectural information. What type of methods and interface will allow architects and planners to access large quantities of architectural plan information on the Internet? What type of methods and interface will allow architects and planners to display architectural plan information on the Internet for maximum comprehension by other professionals and users who do not have specialized architectural training? What type of methods and interface will allow architects and planners and to interact with architectural plan information on the Internet in a manner that allows for pattern recognition and design innovation?
In accordance with the present invention, the above and other problems are solved by providing a method, user interface, computer storage medium and propagated signal for representing an architectural plan diagram on a graphical user interface connected to an interactive communications network. The method includes the steps of displaying an architectural plan diagram on a graphical user interface, wherein the architectural plan diagram has multiple color-filled objects defined by voids, wherein the objects and voids represent features of an architectural plan; and displaying an architectural plan diagram key having a plurality of colored icons, each icon having associated feature information describing a functional feature, wherein the color of the colored icons corresponds to the color of the colored-filled objects such that each of the color-filled objects is associated with the feature information.
The user interface provides for a first viewing area displaying an architectural plan diagram, wherein the architectural plan diagram has multiple color-filled objects defined by voids, wherein the objects and voids represent features of an architectural plan; and a second viewing area displaying an architectural plan key having a plurality of colored icons, each icon having associated feature information describing a functional feature, wherein the color of the colored icons corresponds to the color of the colored-filled objects such that each of the color-filled objects is associated with the feature information.
A great utility of an embodiment of the invention is that it allows all members of the facility planning and design team to readily access and comprehend the key elements of architectural floor plans. Users can do this on a computer monitor without loss of clarity. Members of the planning and design team may view a large number of plans rapidly in a common format. Designers may use the same diagramming technique as a design tool, and the results may be easily compressed and rapidly downloaded on the Internet. Because users can view quantities of plan information at an abstract level, they can readily perceive patterns and develop new, innovate solutions.
An embodiment of the invention includes a method for creating and displaying architectural plan diagrams. The diagrams are distinct from architectural floor plans in that they contain far fewer elements, while still conveying the key elements of the floor plan organization. Rather than utilize lines and labels, the diagram methods relies on solid color-filled forms and a plan key that is common to all diagrams in a facility category. These diagrams are readily understood by people of various ages, professions and experience levels; no architectural or engineering training is required.
The plan diagrams are readily grasped on any size computer screen without loss of clarity. Whereas a typical room on a traditional floor plan, such as a classroom, will require eleven or more elements to be displayed, the same classroom may be displayed with a single element, a blue color-filled rectangle, in the plan diagram method shown in an embodiment of the invention. The same plan, which may have required thousand of elements to convey prior to the invention, may be represented with a few dozen elements.
An analogy may be made to file compression software: an image file of a red rose may include over one hundred thousand pixels and over a mega byte of electronic storage space. A compressed file stores a reference to thousands of red pixels without storing each individual pixel. It says in effect, xe2x80x9cthis a red pixel, the hundred and twenty pixels to the right are the same shade of red.xe2x80x9d Similarly, the plan diagram method says xe2x80x9chere is a plan key with a blue icon representing classrooms. All of the blue forms in the diagram are classrooms, and they all have the same basic function.xe2x80x9d
An embodiment of the invention includes an interface comprised of more than one viewing area: one to display a series of plan diagrams and one for the plan key. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a third viewing area includes facility data and a xe2x80x9cmini navigation menuxe2x80x9d allowing users to jump to more specific information regarding each plan. The multiple viewing areas or frames allow the user to scroll through a quantity of plan diagrams rapidly in one frame, while the plan key remains stationary in another plan; this allows the user to use both hand and eye to interact with the content, with minimal distraction from extraneous elements. In other words, the higher-level content or individual facility diagram is dynamically displayed, while the plan key is unchanging and displayed only once. The system allows for rapid review of a high quantity of plan information with superior comprehension. The placement of multiple diagrams in a scrollable window fosters pattern recognition, a key foundation of design innovation.
An embodiment of the invention includes a method for diagramming architectural plans that provide information at a greater level of abstraction than the floor plans, while remaining comprehensible to lay persons. Whereas a typical floor plan may have thirty or even a hundred distinct rooms and or features displayed, an embodiment of this invention simplifies the number of elements dramatically. This increased level of abstraction is an important element in problem solving and innovation.
The methods and interface of the various embodiments of this invention make optimal use of computer and Internet technology. The scrollable frame set is supported by all recent versions of both major Web browsers, including Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer. Plan diagrams may be created using a variety of CAD programs, including, but not limited to AutoDesk""s AutoCAD, and Diehl Graphsoft""s VectorWorks. The plan diagrams are readily displayed with good clarity at 72 dots per inch, the standard resolution of computer monitors. A series of five or more plan diagrams are easily downloaded from the Internet at all standard modem speeds offered since 1995.
These and various other features as well as advantages, which characterize the present invention, will be apparent from a reading of the following detailed description and a review of the associated drawings.